The big players all announced new models, causing a frenzy of speculation amidst tech fans the world over. For the most part, the manufacturers delivered on their promises. Samsung’s Galaxy 8 was everything reviewers had been calling for and more; the Pixel 2 continued Google’s focus on performance and camera ability; and Apple rewrote the playbook and did away with the ‘home’ button we had all become so familiar with. Add these stellar products to a few surprise budget hits from Motorola and Sony, and it’s fair to say that 2017 was a year in which smartphone manufacturers managed to excel.

As the year draws to a close, and all the recent frenzy begins to die down as we adjust to life with our new devices, it’s worth speculating… what was the best smartphone of the year? The one that, despite the huge amount of competition, managed to rise above the rest, and stands alone triumphant going into 2018?

Factors to consider

To an extent, smartphone purchase is always going to be subjective. For some users, the enhanced camera abilities of the Pixel 2 nudge it into first place. For others, the craving for something different and innovative will lead them to the iPhone X. So there’s no way of knowing whether a single phone is the best choice for a particular person, but there is one phone that stands above the rest when taken across the board. That phone is…

Samsung S8: Best smartphone of 2017

The reasons for this decision are myriad, but let’s dive into a few of the clinching factors.

Firstly, the screen– this is as good as it gets, with the curved sides providing an extra level of experience when watching videos, and the extra length meaning the entire interface seems to display perfectly. At a ratio of 18.5:9, the S8 has pushed the understanding of what a good screen can be.

Secondly, the phone has a headphone jack, which continues to be of benefit to those who want to integrate with items they already own rather than adding another purchase onto an already-expensive phone. There’s also the ‘home’ button right where you’d expect it to be.

Thirdly, the phone is fast. Really fast, thanks to an octa-core Exynos system-on-chip and 4GB. When this is combined with Samsung’s ever-improving interface and Android 8.0, there’s pretty much nothing this phone can’t do. You can watch movies, play your favorite Ladbrokes casino games, browse your email, and check your health stats with a few swipes, moving in and out of each app with ease. There’s no lag, no delay, no slow-down; just completely smooth, seamless use that is impossible to overlook.

Additionally, the phone looks stunning, a piece of sci-fi technology that you can actually use.

So the phone looks the part, performs the part, and the price was kept reasonable; a major failing of Apple’s X and even the iPhone 8, which were once again pushed to a price that was more about the name than what the phone could do. They’re nice phones, but they’re not £250 better than the S8, so they’re disqualified on this alone.

The S8 shines in comparison to others and also a standalone handset. When you combine the great aesthetics with a phone that does everything you need, while showcasing the best screen in the business, the S8 is a natural winner of best smartphone of the year.

Founder and Editor-in-Chief of The Nerd Stash. An avid gamer since I could walk and can be found in Ashland, KY, where he hopes to find inspiration and uniqueness in life by meeting awesome people, development friendships with companies, and become more nerdy.